By Scott Harvey
Commerce – Today marks another big day for Texas A&M University-Commerce, with the investiture of President Dr. Dan Jones, plus the groundbreaking for the new Music Building.
The public is invited to join A&M-Commerce faculty, staff, and students at today's ceremony and academic convocation in the Ferguson Social Sciences Auditorium.
All classes between 8 a.m. and noon have been cancelled and university offices will be closed from 10 to 11:30 a.m. so employees may attend the ceremony. Classes will resume at noon.
The festivities will continue at 1:30 p.m. today with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new music building, just west of the old student center. The new $29 million facility covers 80,000 square feet, and includes two tunable' performing venues: a concert hall seating 500 and a recital hall seating 75; plus a number of rehearsal halls, classrooms, and practice rooms. The building is scheduled for use in the fall of 2010.
Due to Friday's campus events, the following parking areas on campus will be closed:
- Portions of MSC Drive.
- Portions of the parking on University Drive by W. Neal St.
- Portions of the parking in parking lot I. (This is the area in front of the Social Science Building)
- The Entire 2100 block of Bois D'arc will be closed. Disabled parking in this area will remain available. (This is the area North of Stonewall Street that dead ends into Education South)
A community-wide celebration will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Sam Rayburn Student Center. Join President and Mrs. Jones in a celebration of faith.
Dr. Jones was appointed president by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in July 2008.
Jones comes to A&M-Commerce from Texas A&M International University in Laredo where he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs from 2003 to 2008.
His career in higher education began at Casper College in Casper, Wyo., where he served as English instructor.
Jones went on to serve in several capacities at the University of Houston-Downtown from 1985 to 2002, including dean of University College, interim dean of student affairs, associate dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and associate professor of English.
Born in Bartlesville, Okla., Jones earned bachelor's degrees in magazine journalism and English from the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with highest honors.
He received a master's degree in English from Rice University and a master's and Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Iowa.
Jones is married to Jalinna Jones and has two daughters Aislinn and Allyson.
For more information on the investiture events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 903-468-3085 or visit http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/investiture.